KUALA LUMPUR: The media were Wednesday (8 Oct) given a gag order by the Sessions Court hearing Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy case, preventing them from reporting the contents of exhibits in connection with the "black-eye" incident.

Judge S.M. Komathy Suppiah issued the order following the prosecution's application. The exhibits in question comprised newspaper reports, a police report and a statement of claim relating to the incident that happened in 1998.

Head of the prosecution unit in the Attorney-General's Chambers Datuk Mohamed Yusof Zainal Abiden told the court earlier that the publication of the exhibits by the media would further damage the reputation of Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail.

The contents of the exhibits were hearsay and if the court allowed the media to report them, the public would make their own perception or assumption rather than get to know the truth of the story, he said.

Meanwhile, lawyer Sulaiman Abdullah said the court should not stop the media from reporting the contents of exhibits which were read out in open court which included Anwar's affidavit in support of his application against the transfer of the case to the High Court. (Bernama)